Taboo Tunes: A History of Banned Bands & Censored Songs

Book DescriptionMusic has always been a source of controversy, from "Puff the Magic Dragon" to "Cop Killer," Elvis to Eminem, Dylan to the Dixie Chicks, and Madonna to Marilyn Manson. In this extensively researched ode to scandal, historian and musician Peter Blecha recounts the travails of the musicians and songs that have dared to push the hot-button topics that polite society has deemed unacceptable. Filled with several centuries' worth of raunchy sex ditties, morbid murder ballads, blasphemous satanic songs, paeans to intoxicating substances, and outrageous political antics, this unique compendium uncovers the stories of censors' efforts to squelch these acts of expression. It examines the various societal forces - such as repressive governments, busybody community organizations, and self-appointed moral guardians - that have worked to limit how artists are allowed to express themselves, and makes clearer what censorship means for all.